Cloth-shrinking device.



A. BRAY. CLOTH SHRINKING DEVL APPLIUATION FILED JULY 1o. 190e.

PATBNTED DEG. 4, 1906.

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A. BRAY. CLOTH SHRINKING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JULYlo. 1905.

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No. 837,281. PTENTED DEC. 4, 1906.

A. BRAY. CLOTH SHRINKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1905.

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Patented Dec. 4, 2.906,

Application filed July 10,1905. Serial No. 269,061.

v A'Be v it 'that I', ALBERT BRAY, a citizen di the UnitedStates of America, residing at: Cleveland, inthe county of Cuyahoga and State lovflOlii'), have invented certain newv and ,Y useful rvyerrients in Cloth-Shrinking Devicesanl herebydeclare the following to be' av full', clear,and. exact description of the invention, such as will enable others sln'lled the' art to ch it pertains to make and use v, the.' same.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement cloth-sponging machines. l' `The object of this invention is to provide a machine of` this character which will thoriighlyshrink'the material and at the same timey remove'all wrinkles ,and creases thereof. same.

4My inventionrtherefore consists in the features offconstruc'tion and combination of parts, 'afs'shwninltheir preferred form in the drawings, described in the specificatiom'and l shapedin cross-section, and the apex thereof is toward the table-top v2. The top4 of the steaming-box is provided with the usual perforations 5 for t e passage of the steam. Onl the surface of the top 4 of the steamingbox are formed a series of ridges 6, which extend longitudinally thereof. The object of these ridges is to hold the cloth or material which is being steamed awayfromthe surface Aof the 'steaming-box, so that the cloth will not come in 4contact with the water from the condensation of the steam on the surface of the steaming-box.- Within the steamingbox is arranged a steamipe 7, which is provided with a series of pe orations 8, arranged to direct the steam toward the bottom of the Ae'rringto the drawings, 1 repre-- box. A plate 9 is secured at one side of the steam-box and extends above the steam-pipe 7 and serves to partially intercept the steam as it rises to the top of the steaming-box, and the excess of'moisture in the steam condenses .on they plate 9, and therefore the steam which passes out through the perforations in the top of the box is comparatively dry. In the bottom of the steam-box is arranged a drainpipe 10. At each end of the table-top 2 are i arranged standards 13 and 14, in which are rotatably mounted small rollers 15 and 16 respectively, one at each side of the steam-box, near the top thereof. ln the respective standards above the rollers 15 and` 16 are formed vertical grooves 17 and. 18, which are aranged to receive the ends of rollers 19 and 20. The rollers 19 and 2O are made removable, so that'they can be lifted out of the way when the cloth is being arranged on the machine, and as only one of the rollers is usually neededsmall brackets 21 are provided at the side of the frame for holding the roller no t'in.l use. The rollers 15 and 20 and ltand- 1Q are; what may be termed the pairs of pressingrollers.' In the standards 1-3 and 14; isljlour-I naled a wooden drum 23, which is provided with a crf lli-arm 24, by means of which it is turned, and on the opposite side of the steaming-box in open bearings 25, formed in the said standardsl and 14, is rotatably mounts: ed a steaming-drum comprising a perforated' cylinder 26, closed at` one end, where ityisa provided with a. crank-arm .27. The other end of the Cymder 2e is 1ro-vided Wah nel-shaped mouth 28. strap 29 isarranged on the steaming-drum, preferably at `theend near the' mouth, and is connected with theframe of the machine by means `ofacoil spring 30, thefree end of which is arranged;to

engage with` one4 of a series of pins 31.- The., strap and spring together constituteanadjustable tension device or brake, which prevents the' drum from rotating too -freel The opposite end of the steam-drum is he d vin its bearing'by means of a hook 32. A

smoothing and pressing device is supported centrally over the steaming-box and comprises a rigid bar 33, which is hung from two arms 34, which are pivotally secured to the respective standards 13 and 14, and the'said arms 34 'are longer than the vertical distance between their points of support and the top "of the steaming-boX, so that the bar 33 when ra'nged at an angleA to each other, one ofA which rests on the cloth when the bar is in its operative position. Near one end of the frame l is arranged a stand 35, on which is mounted a burner 36. Above the burner is arranged a boiler 37, which is connected with thesteam-box 3 by means of a pipe 38. In the top of the boiler is formed an opening 39, around which is arranged a nipple 40. A cap 4l is provided for the nipple.

The operation of the machine is as follows: .After the cloth which is tobe shrunk has been rolled upon the steaming-drum the cap is removedirom the end of the nipple on the boiler and the mouth of the steaming-drum is placed over the nipple. The steam from the boiler passes into the steaming-drum and out through the` perforations in the side thereof, and when the cloth has been thoroughly steamed the steaming-drum is removed from the boiler and laced in its bearings in the frame. The clotli is then stretched across the top of the steaming-box and between a pair of the pressing-rollers, and the end of the cloth is wrapped around the wooden drum 23. .The pressing-bar :is then let down so that it lies on the surface of the cloth. The wooden drum 23 is then rotated, so as to wind the cloth onto the wooden drum and off of the steaming-drum, and at the Isame time steam is admitted into the steamf ing-box, so that as the `cloth travels over the steaming-box it is again steamed by the steam which rises through the perforations in the top of the boX. The cloth can be wound. back and forth from the Wooden roller to the steaming-roller, carrying it backY and forth across the steaming-box and between the pressing devices as many times as is desired, the'reby thoroughly shrinking the cloth and removing all wrinkles and creases therefrom.

with two faces arranged at an angle to each What I claim is-f 1. In a cloth-shrinking machine, the combination of a frame, a steannng-box mounted on said frame, means for supplying steam to said steaniing-box1neans for sup orting and drawing the cloth, to be shrun over said steamingfbox and a cloth-smoothing device hinged above said steaming-box and arranged to rest on the surface of said cloth.

2. JIn a cloth-shrinking machine, the combination of a-frame, a steaming-box mounted on said frame, means for supplying steam to said steaming-box, means for supporting and drawing the cloth to be shrunk across the surface of said steamingbox and a clothsmoothing device comprising a rigid bar arranged to extend longitudinally of the top of said steaming-box and provided with two arms pivotally supported in the Iframe of the machine above the said steaming-box, substantially'as described and for the purpose set forth. y

' 3. In a cloth-shrinking machine, the combination of a frame, a steaming-box mounted on said frame, means for supplying steam to said steaming-box, means for Supporting and drawing the cloth to be shrunk across the surface of said steaming-box and a clothsmoothirig device comprising a rigid bar arranged to extend longitudinally of the top of said steaming-box, said bar being provided 8s other and means for hinging said bar in said frame.

4. In a cloth-shrinking machine, the com-v bination of a frame, asteaming-box arranged in said frame, means yfor supporting and drawing the cloth to be 'shrunk across the surface of said steamingebox, a cloth-smoothing device hinged above said steaming device and 'arranged to rest on the surface ofsaid cloth, a burner supported in proximity to said steaming-box, a boiler arranged over said burner and a pipe directly connecting said boiler and said steaming-box, substantially as described. Y A

In testimony whereof I sign the foregoing Ioo specification in the presence of two witnesses.

' ALBERT BRAY.

Witnesses A. S. NEAL, W. S. FOSTER. 

